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The Cheapest Used Tesla I could Find: Under $15,000 - That's $11,000 With the Used E.V. Tax Credit: With Only 18% Battery Degradation After 232,000 Miles

I was looking for the cheapest Tesla vehicle I could find to see what the price would be, and I was shocked to find one for under $15,000. That makes it $11,000 after the used EV tax credit. It has about 18% battery degradation after 232,000 miles.
The Cheapest Used Tesla I could Find: Under $15,000, But What's The Catch?

Tesla For Under $15,000

There is a used Tesla for under $15,000, which didn't seem real at first, but it turns out, it is. It's a white painted, Model 3 Long Range from 2018 with premium connectivity included, and the ability to run Full Self Driving.

When bought new, this vehicle came with 310 miles of range, a 75 kWh battery, and was generally thought of as pretty good. Well, there is a used version of this vehicle on Edmund's for sale and here is what is known about it now.

The Model 3 Long Range has a mileage of 232,661. That's a pretty high mileage right off the bat, and questions about the battery for this vehicle are most certainly going to be asked. However, Elon Musk has said these batteries should last between 300,000 and 500,000 miles - so at a minimum, this car should have its battery last at least another 66,700 miles or so.

It is for sale by RDU Auto Sales in Raleigh, NC. The history of the vehicle include 2 accidents and 1 owner. It is a free title vehicle, which means it is free of major title brands and other serious problems.

This Model 3 has also only been used for personal use, according to Edmund's and also says:

Price excludes government fees and taxes, any finance charges, emissions testing, the cost of optional equipment selected by the purchaser, and any charges for dealer documentation/processing fees (except that the price may include a dealer documentation/processing fee in states where required to be included in the advertised price).

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Is This Vehicle Worth it?

This vehicle might be worth it - especially if you can get the $4,000 tax credit for used EVs. That puts it at $11,000. If the battery lasts more toward 500,000 miles, then I would say this vehicle is absolutely worth it. Here's why.

A Model S owner drove his vehicle over 1.2 million miles. The first electric motor in this car lasted nearly 500,000 miles. There has also been multiple battery replacements, however, this Model S is older than 2018. His Model S is from 2014.

What's interesting about this is that a 2018 Model 3 likely is going to have a very strong frame. The reason is the 2014 Model S is still holding together strong in its frame for over 1.2 million miles. It hasn't broken or collapsed, and I would be willing to believe that a used Model 3 like this has a strong frame as well.

Buying this car is a risk for sure because it has been in two accidents. However, if there is nothing wrong with the electric motors and batteries, and the frame is holding strong, then you simply have an old car.

The interior definitely looks older, but it doesn't look bad. When looking at the car on the outside, it doesn't look too bad, either. Here's what the interior looks like.

Model 3 2018 interior

There's some wear for sure, but no obvious rips or things that were destroyed inside the car.

Also, check out this image that shows the range of the car:

Model 3 long range 220,000 miles of range

This shows 206 miles at around what looks like 75% range. How did I get 75%? I zoomed in very closely on the miles to see what the percentage was. Look at this image.

Charge Bar Model 3 2018

This is a significantly zoomed in view of the charging bar. There are approximately 30 rows of the charge bar, and 23 of these are filled. Thus, the percentage is around 76.6% - so my 75% initial guess wasn't too far off. Taking this 76.6% against the 206 miles of range gives you a maximum or 100% range of 254 miles.

254 miles isn't too bad. That's only 18 less than the 2022 Model 3 RWD I have, and my car has about 259/260 miles of range. This battery for this used Model 3 hasn't even degraded 20% yet. It's at about 18% battery degradation from a 310-mile starting range when it was new. Not too bad. For someone that doesn't need too much range and a daily commuter, this car would likely do the trick!

The big question is, is there any glaring issue with the car that would cause a need for a big repair, electric motor replacement, or battery replacement. I would say the frame and battery are good - and most likely the electric motors have a couple of hundred thousand miles more to them.

Also, this car has no warranty of any kind anymore.

It's a bit of a gamble, but for someone on a budget, it sure would be interesting to see how it runs over time!

Here is the link to buy the car.

In Other Tesla News: "A Few Other Products Coming Too" Says Elon Musk, In Addition To Compact Car, FSD, Robotaxi, and Tesla Bot

What do you think about this used Model 3 long range for under $15,000? Would you get it?

Share this article with friends and family and on social media - or leave a comment below. You can view my most recent articles here for further reading. I am also on X/Twitter where I post more than just articles daily, as well as LinkedIn! Thank you so much for your support!

Hi! I'm Jeremy Noel Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter and own a 2022 Model 3 RWD EV and I don't have range anxiety :). I enjoy bringing you breaking Tesla news as well as anything about Tesla or other EV companies I can find, like Aptera. Other interests of mine are AI, Tesla Energy and the Tesla Bot! You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow my Tesla and EV news coverage.

Image Credit & Article Reference: Edmunds

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Comments

Adam (not verified)    February 9, 2024 - 12:29PM

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It was an honor to see you right up an article on the vehicle for sale at the dealership I work at. We just got a similar 2019 model three in with 211K, nicer wheels, FSD and is super clean for 17,990.